ᴄᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴇᴍ: ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴄᴀʙᴇᴛʜ/ꜱᴏʟᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ

xxɪᴠ | ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ᴀᴛᴛɪʀᴇ

Based on vibes alone, Percy and Nico have decided that the best place to look for Pothos is the catacombs beneath the Vatican. That sounds like a place where someone would carry out an evil plan. It's got a nice eerie aesthetic to sacrifice demigods for unknown reasons, and it's relatively secluded.

They dropped Mrs. O'Leary and her puppy Raphael off at the entrance to the city. They're supposed to be the getaway drivers, but Percy doesn't trust that both of them are going to stay as Nico ordered them to in Italian.

Since the Mist won't be pulling any favors in the Catholic domain, Percy and Nico need to make their own efforts to go unnoticed.

That's why they're signed up for a tour of the catacombs.

"We are literally the worst-dressed people on this tour," Nico whispers to Percy while the tour guide says something in Italian.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Percy asks, spreading his arms for show.

"That is a Hawaiian shirt."

"It's my formal Hawaiian shirt," he says.

"Oh really?" Nico raises an eyebrow.

Percy drops his shoulders. "No. I got this yesterday when Will brought us fresh clothes. I'm pretty sure there was a different one he meant for stuff like this, but it was just so..." He pauses to search for the right word. "Flamboyant?"

Nico rolls his eyes. "Sure, sure. That's what we were all thinking when we saw that atrocious shirt Will packed for you."

"Well, what did you want me to do?" Percy asks. "Wear that shirt?"

"No, definitely not," Nico says. He's not dressed much better than Percy; he's wearing a black polo shirt with tiny white skulls on it, unbuttoned over a wife-beater tank top. He's also wearing black jeans since knees are not allowed at the Vatican.

At least Percy buttoned his Hawaiian shirt. Then again, he doesn't have an undershirt. It's kind of itchy without one.

The tour guide continues speaking about something that Nico suddenly finds incredibly interesting.

"What's he saying?" Percy asks.

"Shut up."

"Yeah, but-"

"Shh!" Nico hisses.

Listening to the tour guide's information was not part of the plan. The plan was to get in, rescue Will, and then get out. The whole Pothos thing can be a quest for some kids at Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. They'll love it. They're not burnt out like Percy and the others are. They're young and eager and don't have to turn the TV up to volume level thirty instead of twenty-five and they don't have hair growing in-

Thump!

"Nico, did you hear-"

"For the last time, please shut up," Nico groans. He goes back to listening to the tour guide. "Interessante."

"No, not interessante," Percy says.

Thump!

"Listen, if you want to go check it out, take Annabeth's cap and check it out," Nico says.

"Maybe I will."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Nico focuses back on the lecture, looking around at the paintings on the walls. "Percy?"